CORE 1101 Journey of Transformation

"People look to their different religions for an answer to the unsolved riddles of human existence. The problems that weigh heavily on people's hearts are the same today as in past ages."—Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, 2nd Vatican Council, 1965

CORE 1101 invites students to contemplate these "unsolved riddles" through reading, introspection and conversation.

This first course in the University Core Curriculum seeks to forge a community of conversation inspired to explore perennial questions that are central to- though not exclusive to - the Catholic intellectual tradition. People throughout the different cultures and traditions of the world strive to understand the transcendent mysteries of the human journey. The world’s religions, philosophies, art, music and literature are the record of that ongoing struggle for understanding. The first signature course invites students into this conversation via some of the great texts and other cultural artifacts that focus on transformative journeys in Catholic, Greek, Islamic, Hindu and other traditions. Students are asked to reflect upon their own transformative experiences and envision their personal journeys.Co-requisite: CORE 1001 (University Life). 3 creditsSample syllabus »

CORE 2101 Christianity & Culture in Dialogue

“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth-in a word, to know himself so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves." —Pope John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, 1998

This course is taken by second-year students and considers the relationship between Christianity and culture through an approach based on principles of dialogue, development and community. Texts from the Christian tradition are paired with texts from non-Christian traditions in order to demonstrate connections across cultures that influenced the development of the Catholic intellectual tradition. The course seeks to foster the development of a community of conversation through a focus on key questions and significant texts.Prerequisites: 30 credits, CORE 1101, ENGL 1201, ENGL 1202. 3 creditsSample syllabus »

CORE 3XXX Engaging the World

“People are becoming conscious that the forces they have unleashed are in their own hands and that it is up to themselves to control them or be enslaved by them. Here lies the modern dilemma."—The Constitution of the Church in the Modern World, paragraph 9

The third signature courses are discipline-specific, linking the general principles of the Catholic intellectual tradition to the various fields of study offered at the university. In this way, questions emerging from the first two core courses, CORE 1101 and CORE 1201, find applications to the disciplines and professions taught at the University.

Please click on the links below to view the list and descriptions of courses that fulfill this requirement.

CORE 1001 University Life

Each first-year student at the university is enrolled in a one-credit academic course that meets in the fall semester. University Life is taught by the mentor with the assistance of a peer adviser and meets once a week for 50 minutes. The objectives are:

to provide an academic context for resolving challenges and planning academic and personal success

to provide students with the tools to work in a technologically enhanced environment

to familiarize students with University resources and opportunities

to improve reading and writing skills as well as analytical thinking and

to help fulfill the mission of Seton Hall University in “forming students to be servant leaders in a global society”

ENGL 1201 Core English I

This first year course introduces students to the writing and reading processes of expository and persuasive rhetoric / argument. Prewriting and rewriting techniques stress the importance of gathering, organizing, clarifying, shaping, drafting and revising material as necessary to all papers.Prerequisite: satisfactory score on required placement test or ENGL 0100 or 0150 as appropriate. 3 creditsFor More Information: See First Year Writing Program »

ENGL 1202 Core English II

This literature-based writing course is designed to improve students's analytical and and critical thinking skills through the study of representative readings in the three major genres of fiction, poetry and drama. Each section will follow one of four thematic approaches, enabling students to choose a focus related to their area of interest: Literature and the Humanities, Literature and the Human Psyche, Literature and Public Life, or Literature and the Natural World.Prerequisite: ENGL 1201. 3 creditsFor More Information: See First Year Writing Program »